Fri Aug 29 19:13:48 2008

Comment | Email | Print

Chivas USA, TFC desperate to get in win column

---

Carson, CA (Sports Network) - Toronto FC and Chivas USA square off at The Home Depot Center on Saturday night in Major League Soccer action.

Both teams are desperate for points to get back into contention for playoff spots. Toronto has just one win in its last nine league fixtures, a streak that has seen the club drop into a tie in last place in the Eastern table.

Chivas USA is on a streak of its own, winless in six. Its streak has dropped the defending Western Conference regular season champs to second-to-last in the Western table, just two points up on last-placed San Jose.

The Goats (6-9-6) are also coming off a 2-0 midweek loss to Panama's Tauro FC in the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions League preliminary round series at Estadio Rod Carew in Panama City.

Before that, the team earned a 0-0 draw at San Jose in MLS play last Saturday. The team changed its lineup again because of injuries, something that has plagued the Goats all season.

"[For] the first 15 to 20 minutes of the first half we weren't really sure of ourselves because of so many changes [but then] I thought we did pretty good," Chivas USA Preki said. "We tried to push forward, we tried to get a goal. I think we did everything but get a goal, and I'm disappointed that we didn't get three points. I thought we were the better team on the night."

Toronto (7-9-5) is coming off a draw in its last MLS fixture as well, 1-1 at home vs. New England in which Goalkeeper Greg Sutton and rookie defender Julius James cleared balls off the line in the closing minutes to preserve the tie.

"I thought we deserved to get something more, although we could've lost it toward the end," TFC coach John Carver said. "You know [Sutton] pulled off a great save and Julius James pulled off a fantastic block. He does that every day in training so when he did it I was pleased, because that is as good as a goal, what he did."

Toronto is relatively healthy heading into the game, while the Goats will be without Justin Braun, Jesse Marsch, Carey Talley, Raphael Wicky and Alex Zotinca, among others, because of injury. Also, Shavar Thomas will miss the game because of yellow card accumulation.